Releasable retaining means for the reversible latch unit of a unit lock



1966 F. J. RUSSELL ETAL 3,235,301

RELEASABLE RETAINING MEANS FOR THE REVERSIBLE LATCH UNIT OF A UNIT LOCKFiled 001;. 28, 1963 r1 I vldfa 7 IO 15 Wail 23 28 F250 J; RUSSELL120652 J. NOL/N INVENTORS ATTORNEYS United States Patent M RELEASABLERETAINING MEANS FOR THE REVERSIBLE LATCH UNIT OF A UNIT LOCK Fred J.Russell, 8635 Otis St., South Gate, Calif., and

Roger J. Nolin, Monterey Park, Calif.; said Nolin assignor to saidRussell Filed Oct. 28, 1963, S91. No. 319,133 4 Claims. (Cl. 292-244)The invention has reference to lock sets of a type identified in thetrade as a unit look. In this particular instance the invention isdirected to a retaining means capable of holding two separablesubassemblies in operating engagement.

As in the case of most lock sets, it is desirable that the lock set besufficiently versatile, so that it can be attached on either aright-swinging or left-swinging door and also, on occasions, of suchcharacter that it can be mounted to operate properly on a door whichswings either outwardly or inwardly.

Since latch bolts are bevelled on one side in order to be pushed intothe latch assembly when they hit the strike plate on the door jamb, thelatch bolt and its mounting need to be capable of reversal in positionfor installations where the door swings in a direction opposite to thatfor which the lock is prepared.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide in a latchset consisting of a latch subassembly having alternate positions ofengagement with a retractor subassembly, a new and improved releasablemeans for holding the two subassemblies together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a releasable means forholding the subassemblies together which is simple, inexpensive, and atthe same time one which in operation forms a secure and positiveattachment between the subassemblies.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedreleasable means for the subassemblies which makes it possible toreverse the latch subassembly without necessity for removing the knobsor escutcheon plates.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedreleasable means for holding the subassemblies in engagement which canbe merely pried loose by virtually any available instrument instead ofsome special tool and which when reapplied merely snaps into positionautomatically.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafterset forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side perspective View of the two subassemblies inengagement.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view partially broken away showing thetwo subassemblies engaged by the retaining means in operating condition.

FIGURE 3 is a side perspective view of the retaining means alone.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a mode ofdisengagement of the retaining means.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectorial view illustrating how thetwo subassemblies engage each other.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a second form of theinvention.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustrationthere are shown two subassemblies, namely, a latch subassembly,indicated generally by the reference character 10, and a retractorsubassembly, indi- Patented Feb. 15, 1966 cated generally by thereference character 11. These subassemblies, when held in engagement bya releasable retaining band 12, comprise what may be identified as aunit lock of the type adapted to slide into a cut-out in one edge of adoor.

The latch subassembly consists of a latch housing 15 having a front face16 through which protrude a latch bolt 17 and a dead locking bolt 18. Itwill be noted that the latch bolt 17 and dead locking bolt 18 aremounted so that they pivot at the left end, as Viewed in FIGURE 1. Thiswould be a proper mounting on occasions Where the unit lock is mountedon the left edge of a door (not shown) and where the door is designed toswing inwardly. If, for example, the door were intended to swingoutwardly, the mounting for the latch bolt and dead locking bolt wouldhave to be reversed, namely, so that they are pivoted toward the rightof the front face 16. In the unit look here under consideration, this isaccomplished by reversing the entire latch subassembly with relation toits attachment to the retractor subassembly.

To make a reversal of this kind possible, the right end of the latchhousing 15 is provided with a pair of opposite, parallel channels 19 and20 which in effect form tracks extending in a vertical direction.Between the channels, the latch housing is cut away, forming an opening21 to provide access to the channels 19 and 20.

The retractor subassembly 11 includes a retractor housing 22 made ofopposite parallel plates 23 and 24 held together by some apropriatemeans such as a bolt 25 or other conventional construction. Theretractor housing 22 is adapted to mount opposite bearing sleeves 26 and27 within which spindle means (not shown) rotate, the spindle meansfollowing conventional practice and being provided with hand holds orknobs (not shown).

In order to have the retractor subassembly 11 housing engageable withthe latch subassembly 10, the parallel plates 23 and 24 respectively areprovided with opposite parallel shoes 28 and 29 over which the channels19 and 20 are adapted to slide and thereby to engage the latch housing1'5 with the retractor housing 22. Because of this sliding engagement,the latch housing 15- can be slid in a vertical direction entirely freeof the retractor housing 22, reversed upper end for lower end, and thenslid again into engagement. Once in engagement, however, it is necessarythat the housings be secured together as a unit. This is accomplished bythe agency of the releasable retaining band 12.

The releasable retaining band v12 is a band of appreciable breadth, moreor less the same breadth as the retractor housing 22. The band hasa'rounded intermediate portion 35 adapted to encircle a rounded end 36of the retractor housing 22. An upper parallel portion 37 extends towardthe latch housing 15 and is provided with a projection 38 having ingeneral the form of a downwardly extending hook. Similarly, a lowerparallel portion 39 is provided with a projection 40 having the form ofan upwardly extending hook. By making the releasable retaining band 12of resilient material, where the upper and lower parallel portions 37and 39 are initially parallel or perhaps bent slightly inwardly towardeach other, they will regain a parallel position after being spreadapart.

To accomodate the projections 38 and 40, the latch housing 15' isprovided at its upper side with a recess 41 and at its lower side with arecess 42, the recesses being shown by solid lines in the broken awayportions of FIG- URE 2, and the recess 41 being shown also in FIGURE 4.An inside wall 15' of the latch housing forms part of each of therecesses 41, 42.

When the two subassemblies 10 and 11 are in engagement with each otherin assembled position and with the releasable retaining band 12 inplace, they appear as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. When the need arises toreverse the swing of the latch bolt 17 and dead locking bolt 18, thereleasable retaining band 12 must first be released. The manner ofreleasing is shown in FIGURE 4, where there is pictured a pry which maybe a screwdriver end 43 or other appropriate instrument inserted under apart of the upper parallel portion 37 and in this manner lifting theupper parallel portion 37 high enough so that the projection 38 iswithdrawn from the recess 41. When this has been accomplished, the lowerprojection 40 is readily released from its position in the lower recess42 and, accordingly, the releasable retaining band 12 can be removedentirely from the retractor subassembly 11. This leaves the twosubassemblies free for disengagement in the manner heretofore described,namely, by sliding the latch subassembly upwardly or downwardly so thatthe shoes 28 and 29 are free of the channels 19 and 20. The latchsubassembly 10 then is merely inverted and re-engaged by the samesliding motion.

Once in the new position of engagement, the releasable retaining band 12is reapplied. This is accomplished merely by inserting first one oranother of the projections 38 or 40 into the respective recess 41 or 42,then springing the opposite projection, until it is positioned over therespective recess, whereupon, by reason of the resilient character ofthe releasable retaining band, it will reengage, and the housings willagain be held together in the new relationship.

In the form of invention shown in FIGURE 6, the latch subassembly 10engages the retractor subassembly 11 in the same manner as heretoforedescribed. That is to say, the shoes, as represented by the shoe 28,slide in the channel 20 of the track to place the subassemblies inengagement. In this form a set screw 45 is threaded into an appropriatethreaded hole 46 in an overlying flange 47 forming one side of thechannel 20. The set screw 45 may be tightened against the shoe 28sufiiciently to prevent the subassemblies from sliding free of eachother. When they are to be separated, the set screw 45 is loosened andthe subassemblies can then be readily separated. In this form of theinvention therefor the releasable retaining band 12 is dispensed with.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that a very simpleretaining means has been provided which is inexpensive but at the sametime dependable and capable of being applied with extreme simplicity.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut it is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embraceany and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

1. In a lock which fits into a notch cut-out in the edge and adjacentfaces of a door swingable about a vertical axis, the combination of aretract-or subassembly including 4. a retractor housing, a latchsubassembly including a latch housing, track means on one of saidhousings extending in a vertical direction, shoe means on the other ofsaid housings having a vertically slidable retention engagement withsaid track means, and retention means releasably holding said housingsin engaged relationship.

2. In a lock which fits into a notch cut-out in the edge and adjacentfaces of a door swingable about a vertical axis, the combination of aretractor subassembly including a retractor housing, a latch subassemblyincluding a latch housing, track means on one of said housings extendingin a vertical direction, shoe means on the other of said housings havinga vertically slidable retention engagement with said track means, andretention means releasably holding said housings in engagedrelationship, said means comprising an element having hooked endportions releasably attached to the latch housing and a second portionintermediate said end portions in a position encircling said retractorhousing.

3. In a lock which fits into a notch cut-out in the edge and adjacentfaces of a door swingable about a vertical axis, the combination of aretractor subassembly including a retractor housing, a latch subassemblyincluding a latch housing, track means on one of said housings extendingin a vertical direction, shoe means on the other of said housings havinga vertically slidable retention engagement with said track means, andretention means releasably holding said housings in engagedrelationship, said means comprising a band having an intermediateportion encircling at least a portion of said retractor housing, aprojection at one end of said band in releasable hooked engagement withan upper part of said latch housing and 'a projection at the other endof said band in releasable hooked engagement with a lower part of saidlatch housing.

4. In lock which fits into a notch cut-out in the edge and adjacentfaces of a door swingable about a vertical axis, the combination of aretractor subassembly including a retractor housing, a latch subassemblyincluding a latch housing, track means on one of said housings extendingin a vertical direction, shoe means on the other of said housings havinga vertically slidable retention engagement with said track means, andretention means releasably holding said housings in engagedrelationship, said means comprising at least one set screw threadedlymounted in a part of one of said housings adjacent the track means andengageable with the shoe means on the other of said housings whereby tohold said housings in engagement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1932 Schlage292337 4/1954 Hillgren 292-358

1. IN A LOCK WHICH FITS INTO A NOTCH CUT-OUT IN THE EDGE AND ADJACENTFACES OF A DOOR SWINGABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, THE COMBINATION OF ARETRACTOR SUBASSEMBLY INCLUDING A RETRACTOR HOUSING, A LATCH SUBASSEMBLYINCLUDING A LATCH HOUSING, TRACK MEANS ON ONE OF SAID HOUSING EXTENDINGIN A VERTICAL DIRECTION, SHOE MEANS ON THE OTHER OF SAID HOUSINGS HAVINGA VERTICALLY SLIDABLE RETENTION ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TRACK MEANS, ANDRETENTION MEANS RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID HOUSINGS IN ENGAGEDRELATIONSHIP.